"Deb Haaland was confirmed as the nation’s 54th Secretary of the Interior in a 51-40 vote Monday, making her the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan broke from party lines to vote to confirm Haaland, a notable choice given other Republican senators publicly saying she was not the right candidate.
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and several other Western senators missed the vote, citing a severe winter storm that dumped 3 feet of snow on parts of Colorado and Wyoming, causing multiple flight cancellations. Fellow Wyoming Republican Cynthia Lummis and Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper of Colorado also missed the vote.
Haaland will be sworn into office either Wednesday or Thursday by Vice President Kamala Harris, she said at a public watch party hosted by IllumiNative and NDN Collective. When she is sworn in, Haaland will become the highest ranked Indigenous person in an executive office across the country."
Aliyah Chavez reports for Indian Country Today March 15, 2021.
SEE ALSO:
"Haaland Confirmed By Senate As First Native American To Lead Interior" (Washington Post)
"Deb Haaland Becomes First Native American Cabinet Secretary" (New York Times)
"Deb Haaland Confirmed As 1st Native American Interior Secretary" (NPR)
"Deb Haaland Will Be The First Native American To Lead The Interior Department" (BuzzFeed News)
"Senate Confirms Haaland To Lead Interior" (The Hill)
"Deb Haaland Confirmed As Interior Secretary" (E&E News)
